Milind’s Review:Jab Tak Hai Jaan- Every Love Story Has a Time! 4/5

When Yash Chopra directed the Classic Lamhe,the critics termed it much ahead of its time. The bondage of socio-cultural terms as defined by our society confined a story to becoming “ahead of its time”. Here Yash Chopra re-iterates the theme of every love story having its own time and taking its own time in a surreal perspective that takes its own course to unfold.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan celebrates nuances of love.It evokes those simple textures that take a casual meeting between two people to a story of love that shall be revered forever. When Katrina bargains her own love for Samar[SRK] to save his life,she adds to the eternal believe that Love needs sacrifice,immense sacrifice.A sacrifice that kept one Harry Potter safe,his mother’s undying love for him! Here Katrina who loves SRK,gives him up to Sir Jesus to bargain his life that is slipping from hands on the roads of London. One may try to find loopholes in this bargain but a true love is always ready to bargain almost anything in times of need to meet some childhood superstition in the hope of winning back the most prized possession.There is nothing ridiculous here as an ultra-minority part of reviewers suggest. Havn’t you bargained your bad habits in order to pass in the exam sometimes? Yes at the moment exam becomes the most important thing and you do make promises.You break them.But Katrina[Meera] does not! She holds onto it knowing this would destroy her life and her love! But in order to make her love live,she chooses to walk away. It is this Yash Chopra flavour that marks JTHJ as the most immaculate representation of innocent love in modern times.He takes cues from the classic sagas of love and merges it with the modern ideologies. Perfect concoction!

When you hear a “MAN WHO CANNOT DIE” you can easily relate it to the man whose life is breathing miles away from him..is there life in him that God can take away? You start feeling for this man who had it all and lost it all,only to gift his life to death everyday in a hope that his death would make the Almighty lose. That Meera’s vows become false..Samar is unforgiving..for 8 years Samar lives Meera within him,tries to defeat her belief but eventually goes on strengthening it.It is this Yash Chopra taste that one can easily decipher if one looks at the length of the movie as a necessity to explain it all.There is nothing left unsaid.Everything must be said. Even the soft,tender and feel-good kisses between Meera-Samar do not leave anything unsaid.Yash Chopra makes it more than just a kiss,elevates it to the dignity where love transforms into a phantasmagorical canvas where colours are myriad and emotions many. It is so difficult to not let a kiss lose its aesthetic value and this has been handled deftly by a man known for presenting love in different forms!

When you have a girl,Akira,who learns from the story of Samara-Meera,imbibes the essence of true love within and finally also educates herself for a courageous show at the end to be able to bid good-bye to Samar,with whom she falls in love in the process of documentary making,one can easily feel the purity of Samar-Meera’s love that has some serious contemporary feel to it!Akira becomes the character who would turn the key[Samar] to open the lock[Meera].Such wonderful inter-connections are seldom seen in modern times.Akira lives for Samar knowing reciprocation is not her fortune here! Unflinching act of supreme sacrifice makes you love her character!

Film has its de-merits.It is a bit slow-paced.Length is not a problem here.It is more slow-paced than what the modern audience is used to watch as Masala has been quite an influence since past 2 years.There could have been some nice dialogue interaction between the leads,some moving ones but then they havn’t kept the 90’s feel,covered it with contemporary looks and feel that works but only in parts. But praiseworthy is the act of SRK who is far different than what we have seen him in any love story.He is subtle,charming,unforgiving,suave,sexy and knows how to love and live a girl in his heart.SRK’s act is of supreme caliber. Katrina looked uncomfortable in the second half.First half,she seals it with her expressions and dance.Anushka is as usual suited to the Delhi-Girl character,a role that is becoming her forte. Editing is tacky at places,almost 15-20 min could have been chopped off.

Film offers us with a new version of Raj as Samar who is unforgiving,who is contemporaray but who is still as charming as he used to be! SRK is back with a bang here!Love was never seen better before than through the eyes of SRK that speaks volumes!His act is probably the most relaxed act of his in years.

Love is not as you see it or I see it.It is as anyone can see it.And every Love Story has a time to prosper.Meera-Samar has their time too. Lives and Times of Meera-Samar shall be remembered for times to come and yes,Akira shall never be forgotten!

Rating:4/5

Milind/Anupam

Twitter Handle : @anand_dr87